Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c56.s12.2

v4.c56.s12.2

In North India, the Marquess very early discussed with General Lake a secret plan for making personal contact with Perron through Sutherland (a Scotsman in Sindhia's service, who had married the daughter of Madame Perron's brother), and buying him out of India, but the plan was abandoned for the time, as the commander-in-chief insisted on first destroying Perron's army in the field, for the sake of the tremendous moral effect which such a victory would produce on the Indian public. George Hessing, who held the fort of Agra for Sindhia, was to be seduced through the Scotsman Sutherland (his maternal uncle's son-in-law), and Mr. Thomas Longcroft, an English indigo-planter settled in the Aligarh district since De Boigne's time, was sent into Aligarh fort to seduce Col. Pedron. In all these matters, General Lake, as the man on the spot was given full discretion and a blank cheque for the expenses he might find necessary. [MM. iii. 190-193.]